Recruitment & Retention Compendium
The Recruitment and Retention Initiative (R&R) strives to promote a research friendly environment and to continuously improve the quality, efficiency, and equity of clinical and translational research by improving patient recruitment and retention in clinical trials though supporting investigators, coordinators, patients and the community.
See below a curated compendium of guidance, tools, policies and templates relevant to R&R.
Sources: Columbia University, CUIMC, NIH and other federal health agencies, other academic medical centers, trusted public sources.
General Recruitment and Retention Guidance
Tools
- Toolkit with suggestions on promotion techniques, tips, and tricks for recruitment and retention and dissemination, and follow-up guidance (link is external and opens in a new window)
- Tips to ensure successful research recruitment with a focus on community-based approach (link is external and opens in a new window)
- Recruitment playbook organized by study phase, study type, population, and cost (link is external and opens in a new window)
Guidance
- Toolkit of external resources gathered from other universities (link is external and opens in a new window)
- R&R content, design, outreach, templates, and courses (link is external and opens in a new window)
- Recruitment guidelines and best practices for equity in research (link is external and opens in a new window)
- Participant recruitment, retention, and adherence plan guideline and step by step checklist (link is external and opens in a new window)
- Engaging African American community members in research studies (link is external and opens in a new window)
- Engaging hispanic/latinx community members in research studies (link is external and opens in a new window)
- Engaging LGBTQIA+ community members in research studies (link is external and opens in a new window)
- Engaging older adult community members in research studies (link is external and opens in a new window)
- Engaging community members with disabilites in research studies (link is external and opens in a new window)
- Engaging urban youth community members in research studies (link is external and opens in a new window)
Columbia University Recruitment and Retention Resources
Tools
- Spanish Translation Services
- RecruitMe - A web-based recruitment platform for Columbia investigators to connect with interested research participants.
- Research Match - Free recruitment registry and feasibility analysis tool for researchers at participating academic institutions across the country. (External Program not CU/CUIMC).
- Criteria2Query Consultation - A natural language interface for cohort identification by clinical researchers; please request a consultation with one of our informatics team members.
- AllofUs - A national research program for genetics.
- Collaborators for Multisite Studies - Our Network Capacity team connects researchers at CUIMC to research studies and trials, proposed through regional and national networks such as, the Trial Innovation Network, HEAL, INSIGHT Clinical Research Network (the NYC members of PCORNet), and others.
Templates
- Addendum to the informed consent document
- Sample information sheet w/ consent and HIPAA authorization
- Consent Form templates for minimal risk research (assent form ages 7-11)
- Consent Form templates for minimal risk research (assent form ages 12-17)
- Consent Form templates for minimal risk research (no recording)
- Consent Form templates for minimal risk research (studies involving audio/ video recording)
- Consent Form for genetic/genomic studies
- Cover sheet for consent forms for genetic/genomic studies
- Consent form templates for genetic/genomic research (assent form ages 7-12)
Guidance
- Columbia Clinical Research Handbook (2021)
- Consent Form Requirements for Studies Linked in Epic
- List of CU IRB protocol and consent form resources (templates, pre-review, submitting a protocol, etc.)
- Human research policy guide
- Clinical Trials Office Regulatory Binder - Overview of essential regulatory files to be maintained for clinical research, as well as useful templates.
Policy
- IRB electronic informed consent policy/ guidance
- IRB Informed Consent policy
- IRB policy on clinical research involving children
- IRB policy on clinical research involving pregnant persons
- IRB policy on enrollment of non-English speaking research participants
- IRB policy on reimbursement of research participants
- General research policies/ conflict of interest policies/ stem cell research policies
- University Policies Website - List of Columbia Universities non-academic policies.
- Sponsored Projects Handbook – Provides oversight for governmental and private organizational funded projects, in accordance with University policies.
- Animal Research Handbook – Reference for faculty and staff engaged in research using animals.
- Environmental Health and Safety Handbook - Reference for faculty and staff conducting research with hazardous materials.
- Research Radiation Safety Handbook - Reference for faculty and staff conducting research using sources of ionizing radiation.
- Postdoctoral Officers Handbook - Guidance on policies, procedures, and offerings for Columbia University Postdocs.
Specialized Services and Consultations
- Clinical Trial Design and Innovation(link is external and opens in a new window)– Provides assistance with trial design, protocol development, various data aspects, and trial implementation.
- Community Study Promotion Assistance - Irving Institute CECR team offers study promotion through our local community.
- Clinical Research Informatics Consultation – Data driven feasibility assessment and cohort identification at CUIMC.
- Research Ethics and Human Subjects Consultations - Consultations on ethics and regulatory issues from experts Please visit this consultation webpage.
- IRB Liaison Service – Reviews investigators submitted protocols and improves overall quality and efficiency of IRB submissions.
- Clinical Trials Office Support for Trial Registration and Results Entry - Resources and information on clinical research for investigators.
- Clinical Trials Office IND/IDE Assistance Program (IAP) - Aids Columbia University Faculty members holding an Investigational New Drug (IND) or Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) at all stages of an investigation.
- Clinical Research Resource - Research facilities including exam rooms, phlebotomy, and lab services for adult and pediatric populations as well as training for all research personnel.
- Submitting a Clinical Trial with CTO - Resources and information from the Clinical Trials Office on best practices for clinical trials.
Trainings
- Research Coordinator Trainings – Research coordinator seminar series and group trainings available to the Columbia University community.
- Clinical Trials Offices’ Clinical Research Coordinator Training Program - Provides standardized basic introductory training to clinical research coordinators and staff who perform related duties. More information here
NIH Clinical Trial Resources
Tools
Templates
- Informed consent document (link is external and opens in a new window)
- Informed Consent Version Tracker (link is external and opens in a new window)
- Informed consent for secondary research with data and specimens document (link is external and opens in a new window)
- Clinical intervention study protocol (link is external and opens in a new window)
- Screening and enrollment log (link is external and opens in a new window)
- Participant visit checklist (link is external and opens in a new window)
- Participant inclusion exclusion criteria form (link is external and opens in a new window)
- Data and Safety Monitoring Plan (DSMP) Template and Guidelines (link is external and opens in a new window)
- DSMP Checklist (link is external and opens in a new window)
Guidance
- Consent Templates and Guidance(link is external and opens in a new window)
- Checklist of strategies and guidance for communicating to the public about research (link is external and opens in a new window)
- Guidance on inclusion of women and minorities in studies (link is external and opens in a new window)
- Inclusion Outreach Toolkit: How to Engage, Recruit, and Retain Women in Clinical Research (link is external and opens in a new window)
- Clear Communication Guidelines (link is external and opens in a new window)
- Recruitment Considerations (link is external and opens in a new window)
- Recruitment and Retention Tips (link is external and opens in a new window)
- Data Management Tips (link is external and opens in a new window)
Health Literacy Resources
Tools
- CDC - Everyday Words for Public Health Communication (link is external and opens in a new window)
- CDC - Health literacy webpage with evaluations, guidelines, plans, and tests (link is external and opens in a new window)
- CDC - Gateway to Health Communication (link is external and opens in a new window)
- Health literacy checklist (link is external and opens in a new window)
- Flesch - Kincaid calculator (link is external and opens in a new window)
Guidance
- CDC - Background and Basics (link is external and opens in a new window)
- CDC - Guiding principles for inclusive communication (link is external and opens in a new window)
- CDC - Guide for Creating Easy-to-Understand Materials (link is external and opens in a new window)
- CDC - Preferred Terms for Select Population Groups & Communities (link is external and opens in a new window)
- Research guide to help improve health literacy skills (link is external and opens in a new window)
- U.S. Gov – Guidelines, trainings, and examples of plain language usage (link is external and opens in a new window)
- American Medical Association - Advancing health equity- guide to language narratives and concepts (link is external and opens in a new window)
- Health literacy in clinical research principles and assistance w/ integration (link is external and opens in a new window)
- Helpful recruitment language and terminology (link is external and opens in a new window)
Social Media and Recruitment Materials
Templates
- Social media recruitment templates, best practices, etc. (link is external and opens in a new window)
- Recruitment templates for use on social media (link is external and opens in a new window)
- Recruitment template flyers for studies with different age ranges (link is external and opens in a new window)
Guidance
- CDC - Describes the different social media platforms and how best to utilize each platform (link is external and opens in a new window)
- CDC - Provides guidance and lessons learned for which social media method is the most effective for your type of study (link is external and opens in a new window)
- Guidelines, recommendations, and resources for creating content and design for participant recruitment and retention materials (link is external and opens in a new window)
- Creating effective recruitment flyers
- Social media best practices playbook (link is external and opens in a new window)
- Best practices and information placement for recruitment flyers (link is external and opens in a new window)
- Recruitment flyer design and advertising assistance (link is external and opens in a new window)
- Top social media platforms to utilize for recruitment, and advantages of social media usage (link is external and opens in a new window)
- Guide to determine if social media is a good fit for your study, and how best to incorporate social media usage in your study recruitment plans (link is external and opens in a new window)
Contact
Sheila M. O'Byrne
622 West 168th Street, 10th Floor
New York, NY 10032
United States